Oil seals for journal boxes for railway axles



ug. 29, 1961 w. H. SALE 993m OIL SEALS FOR JOURNAL BOXES FOR RAILWAY AXLES Filed Deo. 13, 1957 United States Patent O 2,998,271 @EL SEALS FR IGURNAL BOXES FR RAILWAY ES The invention relates to oil-seals between journal boxes and railway-axles.

-Objects of the invention are to provide: an oil-seal for journal boxes yfor railway axles; which comprises mainly a one-piece element of elastic material, such as articial or natural rubber; which is simple in construction, efficient in operation, and can be economically produced; and other objects which will appear from the detail description.

The invention consists in vthe several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and more particularly de ned by claim at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is an axial section of a journal-box embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1, the bearing for the laxle being omitted;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section of the oil-seal alone before it is yapplied to the journal-box;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the oil-seal before it is inserted in the journal-box; and

FIG. 5 is a plan View of seal.

The invention is exempliiied in a journal-box 5 provided with a rear-wal1 6, a dust-guard well 7, an opening 8 for a railway-axle 9 with a journal and a bearing 12 and a wedge 12a between the journal and the box, all of which are of standard construction. A well in the lower portion of the box contains lubricant for the axle, as understood in the art. Opening 8 in the rear of the box is enlarged for relative movement of the axle.

The oil-seal between the axle and the rear-wall 6 of the box 5 consists of a plate-like element generally designated 13, of elastic material, such as rubber, natural or synthetic. Element 13 has an edge 14 which is contoured conformably to the cross-section of the sides, curved bottom and flat top-walls of box 5 and bevelled for a squeeze it by compression against said walls to provide a marginal seal between the edge of element 13 and the inside of the box. Element 13 also comprises a planar portion 15 which fits against the front planar face of rearwall 6, and an integral forwardly otset portion 16 extending inward from portion 15 which is provided with van arcuate cut-away 17 which extends around the bearing 12.

Offset portion 16 has an opening 18 through which the axle extends and is eccentric to the angular portion 19 between the planar portion 15 and the offset portion 16. The latter is of crescent contour with its maximum area below the axle to llex angularly forward of the plane of portion 15 when the axle extends through element 13. The oifset portion 16 is disposed to flex into wiping contact at 19B with the periphery of the journal 10 in front of the shoulder 11 on the axle, as shown in full lines in FIG. l. This effectively prevents the ilow of oil from the box to the enlarged axle-opening 8 in the rear-wall of box 5. lThe flexing of oifset por-tion 16 occurs around the Iaxle between the ends of bearing 12. The element 13 is provided with notches 20 in its sides toI straddle the usual ribs 21 on the inside of the box 5. Y

Element 13 is provided on its front-face with integral forwardly projecting lugs 26 which extend to and are adapted to abut the rear-end of a portion of the rear end of bearing 12 for retaining the element 13 in fixed posiice tion against the front-face of rear-wall 6. Slots 27 are formed in lugs 26 to receive a suitable hook or tool for withdrawing the element 13 off the front end of the axle 9 and through the usual front dor of the box which is provided with a spring-closed lid, as well understood in the art.

Element 13 is suficiently exible to be insertible into the box through the usual front-opening and is adapted to be slipped over the front end of the axle into position against the rear-wall 6 when the bearing l12 and wedge 13 have been removed from the box. WVhen the bearing and wedge `are replaced, the element will be retained in its operative position. llts one-piece formation is simple in construction for fabrication and handling. lts forwardly offset flexible zone engaging the periphery of the axle vforrrrs an eiective seal against loss of lubricant from the bearing through the opening 8. The integral lugs 26 function to securely retain the element in the box.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claim Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

-Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The combination with a railway car journal box having a substantially flat top wall, vertical side walls, a curved bottom wall, and a rear wall closing the inner end of the journal box, said rear wall being formed with a circular opening therethrough, a railway car axle projecting through said opening and extending into said journal box, and an arcuate bearing member interposed between said axle and top wall and frictionally engaging the upper surface region of the axle, o-f a sealing device for sealing the annular space existing between said axle and the surrounding rim of said opennig in the rear wall, said sealing `device comprising a generally Hat elastomeric pad of integral one-piece construction including a planar peripheral region fitting coextensively `against the inside face of said rear wall, a tforwardly offset region having a generally circular opening therethrough and throughlwhich the axle extends, said opening, in the free state of said pad, being eccentrically -formed in said forwardly offset region and displaced upwardly whereby said forwardly offset region is of crescent shape contour, the upper portion of said forwardly offset region being relieved and providing a wide crescent base and pointed crescent ends which straddle said arcuate Xbearing member, said opening in the forwardly offset region being of smaller diameter than the diameter of the axle at its region of entrance into the journal box, the underneath portion of the axle frictionally bearing against the lower rim region of said opening in the forwardly offset region and serving to flex a portion of the wide crescent base forwardly to provide a cradle-like sealing lip which underlies the axle in sealing relationship, a forwardly and upwardly inclined web portion connecting said planar peripheral region and said forwardly offset region, and a rearwardly extending iiexible sealing flange extending marginally around said pad and closely hugging said top wall, vertical side walls and said curved bottoni wall of the journal box.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 629,949 Brown Aug. 1, 1899 1,969,787 Farmer Aug. 14, 1934 2,152,937 =Vighe et al. Apr. 4, 1939 2,858,148 lKlingler Oct. 28, 1958 2,895,749 Sale July 21, 1959 

